Rotary Cutter Brush hog size question

[Frankman]

I have a Kubota L4610D. It has a it is rated at 40.8 pto hp. I want to purchase a brush hog, and am getting conflicting stories on gearbox hp ratings. I need a unit that will be able to put up with some pretty good abuse, as we are needing to clear some property that hasn't been mowed in at least 15-20 years.. It is an old orchard I would like to bring back. Anyways, I would like a 6' unit, but most are rated to 40hp. And the sales reps say that's tractor hp, not pto. Anyone know a good place for me to read up on this, or a good brand for me to look into? I have read countless threads on here, and done a lot of searches but really cant find what im looking for. I also would like a more open rear discharge style so I can back up without folding the sides under like all the other guys I know do! Lol! Thanks.

 

[LD1]

Landpride, Woods, Bushhog, Rhino, amung a few others are all good solid mowers.

The 6' cutters that are only 40HP rated you mention are probabally light duty and wont handle much abuse. They are more for mowing pasture fields a few times a year and nothing really big. But there is a big difference in price and weight as well.

The cutters you speak of, (like a KK 6' light duty) with 40HP gearbox is about $1400new and weighs 700lbs
A HD cutter (KK HD for example) comes with a 80HP gearbox, cost about double, and weighs about 1200lbs.

And KK HD isnt even one of the better HD cutters.

So bottom line, quit looking at light/standard duty cutters. Start looking at HD cutters to get the 80HP gearboxes

 

[Soundguy]

a mowers gearbox should be rated for no lower input than the tractors PTOhp output.

ie.. don't run a 40hp mower on a 60hp machine or you can damage the mower.

with your tractors pto hp being 40.8 you are right up at the limit of a 40input hp gearbox.

you COULD go with that.. or find a heavier hog.. perhaps same brand, but theinr hd line, and go with a heavier box. generally the hd line also have thicker decks for mowing thru thicker stuff.

when i hit a tractor dealership.. it's a rare occasion the 'salesman' knows anything about the stuff he's selling.. and it's even rare-er if he knows more than me im usually happy/surprised/amazed, if he even knows anything about the specific machine he is selling.. let alone it's competitors... or prior models.. etc..



soundguy

 

[EverythingAttachments]

You can easily handle a 6' rotary cutter(bush hog). The mfg. puts a gearbox rating on there to cover themselves and to help match up the cutter to the right tractor. If a cutter has a 40hp gearbox, it would be fine on your 40.8 pto hp...its not an exact science but provides a general guideline. You can check out our website where we have an assortment of rotary cutters by King Kutter and Fred Cain here. We also offer free shipping to a commercial business or supporting freight terminal within 1,000 miles of Newton, NC.

 

[Frankman]

Ld1, I'm asking the question because I know these aren't what I'm looking for duty wise. The people around my place dont know squat, that's why I'm asking you what to look for. I will try and find someone who actually knows if they carry a hd unit. So far nobody can answer that question for me around my place that I have talked to.

 

[TripleR]

I don't know if this will help, but my last tractor before this one had 44 PTO HP and I ran a Land Pride RCR2672 which is rated to cut 3" diameter stuff. I use it in some stuff even a bit thicker. I had no problems with power. I really can't tell any difference in using it on my new tractor with 50 PTO HP.

 

[Frankman]

I don't know if this will help, but my last tractor before this one had 44 PTO HP and I ran a Land Pride RCR2672 which is rated to cut 3" diameter stuff. I use it in some stuff even a bit thicker. I had no problems with power. I really can't tell any difference in using it on my new tractor with 50 PTO HP.

I talked to a farmer the other day and he told me to look into a land pride. Sounds like that is what I need to do.

 

[TripleR]

I talked to a farmer the other day and he told me to look into a land pride. Sounds like that is what I need to do.

Land Pride makes good equipment, but so does Woods, Bush Hog and others. I would be comfortable with any and run a Woods DS1260, I have used a Bush Hog, but never owned one. I don't know much other than reputation about the others.

 

[Bigfoot62]

This is one of those times that "you get what you pay for." Steel and quality manufacturing are expensive.
Regardless of brand name, MOST equipement manufacturers make cheap "economy" models all the way up to "heavy duty" models, with some in between. What you need to consider is:
1. Capability of your tractor. You already know your hp rating and, hopefully, you know what your 3-pt hitch will safely handle. You don't want to buy a 'hog that wears out your pto clutch or makes your front tires come off the ground. (because it was made for a much larger tractor)
2. How are you going to use this cutter? The cutter needs to be heavy duty enough for the task. You already have stated that you want to clean up and maintain the old orchard. Anything else in mind, or is this the worst job it will ever see?
3. Your budget. Yep, it all comes down to $$$. Can you afford the cutter that you really need? If not, may I suggest patience. You will be better off to save up and buy what you NEED rather than just get what you can afford right now. If you're like most of us, it will be a long-term investment. Two of my 'hogs have been around for years. My 5' Modern Highway Special is over 30 years old, and still very usable. My 10' Hardee is probably 20 years old and in great shape. The 7' Rhino is a "medium" duty and probably won't last as long as the others, but it was "cheaper." My mistake. I should have spent a little more and bought a heavier cutter.

I'm not pushing this brand.
This is just a really good website that sorts out the different models (of that one brand) and all the specs, including cutting capacity and hp requirements.
RHINO | Single Spindle
Notice that there is about 900 lbs difference between the "utility" cutter and the "super" duty cutter. The minimum hp requirement is more than double, and the cutting capacity is 1" vs 4.5" respectively.

Hope that helps.

 

[cmore]

If u are going to abuse it, recommend u get a higher HP gear box. I have had a 6' Howse and it has worked well for 20 years even tho it has, at times, been abused. I have chopped up any tree the MF 135 would bend/run down. I took it slow and some times had to go back over it.

 

[WM75Guy]

Stick with the name brands and you should not have a problem. You have to look at the specs to see which is best for your use. You can buy too much cutter for your tractor. Get someone to clear the land for you and use your equipment to maintain it. If your then doing mainly mowing why buy a HD cutter weighting 1400 pounds that will cut 3 1/2" diameter trees that calls for 60 HP PTO. After a while it will take its toll on your tractor pulling and lifting the extra weight and spinning the gearbox.

I run a Bush Hog SQ172 cutter with both my tractors, 40 and 33 HP PTO. It has a 65 HP gearbox and the specs call for a 30 - 45 HP PTO tractor. Weight is 764 pounds and is rated for cutting 2" diameter. It does everything I need as I mow cleared pasture with some small areas of light brush and small new growth trees.

I had to add 200 pounds of weights to the front of the Boomer 8N (no FEL) as it was light on the front end with the mower raised. I tried to load it on the trailer and the front tires kept going into air at the top of the ramps. I was lucky the tail wheel kept it from going any higher and I backed it down the ramps.

 

[rbargeron]

Going back to your original post, for reclaiming orchard land, another rotary cutter to consider is a Brown 472. The Brown is virtually identical to a Bush Hog 286. It can be had with rubber flaps front and back instead of chain curtains. The flaps weigh less - which you'll appreciate on the L4610 because at 1200 pounds the mower already weighs plenty. The 472 has a 130 hp gearbox, meaning that if you tie into a rock it won't die as quick as a 40 hp box would. It also has a slip clutch on the pto to protect the tractor. Back when I was shopping for a rotary, my dealer had a sharper pencil on the Brown than anybody had on the Bush Hog. It's been used in some tough going - but has been trouble free. I'd buy another one. BTW, Brown considers the 472 a medium duty machine. Their heavy duty 672 weighs 500 lb more.

 

[Soundguy]

what about renting a cutter for the initial cut.. or hiring the job done the first time.. then maintain with a more economy unit.

after all.. if you buy a 2000$ land clearing brush cutter.. while it will be cool for the first cutting.. it's 95% overkill after that.. unless you are only planning on cutting 1 per year or two??

on implements.. especially expensive ones. i like to buy for uses i will do semi often. 1-of uses i like to rent , borrow, or hire out those type jobs.

 

[Frankman]

Some very good stuff to think about. Thanks guys. I guess I never though about renting a heavy duty one for the initial cut. Makes sense.
I want the clearing of the property to be done by my family. Already had a few quotes.. Way more then im willing to spend for what they said they would do. I have also considered renting a bobcat tracked skid steer with a forestry mulcher. That would do a better job then the crew would for considerably less, but still pricey. But buying a heavier duty bush hog would be the cheapest and I would always have it to use afterwords, but would require much more labor.

 

[arlen4720]

Some very good stuff to think about. Thanks guys. I guess I never though about renting a heavy duty one for the initial cut. Makes sense.
I want the clearing of the property to be done by my family. Already had a few quotes.. Way more then im willing to spend for what they said they would do. I have also considered renting a bobcat tracked skid steer with a forestry mulcher. That would do a better job then the crew would for considerably less, but still pricey. But buying a heavier duty bush hog would be the cheapest and I would always have it to use afterwords, but would require much more labor.

I'm rather fond of my MX6 john deere. rated for 2 inch brush with a 75 hp gearbox and a double walled sloped top deck.

 

[crowbar032]

My Dad bought a 286 BushHog (6 ft classified as medium duty cutting 2-3 inch saplings) to pull behind a gas MF 150 (about 38 PTO HP). In thick cutting, it's all that tractor wanted. 2nd gear low range for most cutting, if it was really thick had to go to 1st. We didn't have weights on the front the first few times we used it and the front wheels would be off the ground going up inclines. We found a freeman loader cheap that corrected that issue.

 

[cointoss]

Get the Bushhog 286 I am happy I did. I went through 2 or 3 gear boxs in a light weight Hi-Co and was never really abuseing it by trying to mow anything over 1 inch. But you never know when you will hit a low stump or mole or sand hill hidden in the high grass and make sure it has a slip clutch on the pto too.

 

[sawtooth]

I'm rather fond of my MX6 john deere. rated for 2 inch brush with a 75 hp gearbox and a double walled sloped top deck.

Im not sure on the MX6. We have had the most trouble with this unit more than our other cutters. Harder to hook up due to type of coupling they use. Also lost our gear box in 2011 and cutter only has about 80 hours on it. Surprisingly its used for cutting weeds with the occasional 1-2" tree. I will go back to the Bush Hog brand. Never tried Brown but i hear they are tanks. If i were to try something other than BH it would be a Brown. One thing to note is that Brown considers the 472 as a medium or medium heavy cutter. However if you look at the specs they uses heavier decks than their competitors. Most companies go with 10ga but Brown uses 7ga.

Now i think this is a bit much though for your tractor. BUT i do know exactly what you need if you can still find one. Its a bush hog 286 model. The reason i say this is that it has a 110hp box and 10 gauge steel. And it weighs little less than others plus min tractor hp rating is 40 which is exactly what you need. Good luck with your purchase.

 

[arlen4720]

Im not sure on the MX6. We have had the most trouble with this unit more than our other cutters. Harder to hook up due to type of coupling they use. Also lost our gear box in 2011 and cutter only has about 80 hours on it. Surprisingly its used for cutting weeds with the occasional 1-2" tree.

Lucky the MX6 has a 5 year gearbox warranty

 

[bilrus61]

Lucky the MX6 has a 5 year gearbox warranty

Yeah if your idea of fun is going to the dealer and asking for and waiting on a warranty repair. I have a MX 6 and if I had it to do over again I wouldn't get it. I would get either a Landpride 2672 or a Bushhog 296. Get one with a clevis hitch instead of the mounted pins like the MX6.:thumbdown: The MX6 has the most idiotic rear wheel adjustment ever. The Deere design team's computer must have been down the day they designed it. The first three holes of the adjustment flange leave the rear wheel in the air with the rear of the mower dragging the ground. Only the last 3 holes lower the wheel enough to lift the rear of the mower above the ground.:confused2:

For all its many quirks I did mow with my MX6 for two hours yesterday on a field border that hadn't been hogged in years. It took down some pretty big trees and didn't bat a eye. But its not a mower known for being rugged to say the least. I mow with the idea if/when it's gearbox blows up I'll just retire it to some out of the way corner and get a Landpride or Bushhog brand that I wished I had got in the first place.:2cents: